A student has alleged they were subjected to racist and transphobic abuse before being arrested during a protest near Falmer Station, where a right-wing activist group had set up an abortion debate stall.
The incident took place off campus, near the University, where a table bearing the sign “abortion should be completely banned, change my mind” had been set up by individuals, including Gregory Moffitt, a 17-year-old activist associated with Turning Point UK and Vox Populi.
According to Sussex Police, a 20-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of a public order offence in connection with the protest.
In a statement shared with The Badger, the arrested individual described the atmosphere at the protest as hostile, alleging that “racism and transphobia can be blatantly seen,” and claiming they were targeted with remarks including references to “CCP,” being labelled “Chinese,” and comments about their gender presentation.
They further alleged that police failed to act on these incidents, instead focusing on their arrest. “This just shows that the police and the system are willing to protect fascists and powerful voices, not the voices of the people and the students,” the statement read.
The individual also described their experience in custody, claiming that conditions in the cell “warp your sense of time” and that detainees are “treated as lesser no matter what,” adding that the experience highlighted what they called the “normalised violence in the state.”
They credited “your rights workshops” and arrestee support for helping them remain calm and recover after their release, and thanked fellow protesters for their support.
Meanwhile, Moffitt posted on X (formerly Twitter) that “antifa thugs” had been arrested, alleging that one student had physically assaulted him and his cameraman.
A university spokesperson said: “The University declines to comment on an ongoing police investigation.”
In a separate communication to students, the University acknowledged the presence of the stall and film crew near campus, noting that “their presence and the views expressed may be distressing for some students.”